Lighting and ventilating troffer assembly



0d. 24, 1967 KRUGER LIGHTING AND VENTlLATING TROFFER ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 20, 1964 0d. 24, 1967 H KRUGER 3,348,465

LIGHTING AND VENTILATING TROFFER ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 20, 1964 5 Sheets$heet 2 I I l M. H. KRUGER Oct. 24, 1967 LIGHTING AND VENTILATING TROFFER ASSEMBLY 5 SheetsSheet 3 Filed Nov. 20, 1964 Oct. 24, 1967 M. H. KRUGER 3,348,465 LIGHTING AND VENTILATING TROFFER-ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 20, 1964 5 Sheets$heet 4 Oct. 24, 1967 M. H. KRUGER 3,348,465

LIGHTING AND VENTILATING TROFFER ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 20, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheets United States Patent 3,348,465 LIGHTING AND VENTILATING TROFFER ASSEMBLY Michael I-Ienry Kruger, Chestnut Hill, Mass, assignor to Smithcraft Corporation, Chelsea, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 412,756 10 Claims. (Cl. 98-40) This invention relates to lighting and ventilating.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a lighting and ventilating trofier assembly which is less expensive than those of the prior art, and another principal object of the invention is to provide such an assembly which is simpler, lighter in weight and more durable.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide lighting and ventilating units for use in combination which are capable of being formed by simple manufacturing techniques, and in particular employ die formations in sheet metal and avoid cutting and fitting to difiicult shapes or the use of special sealant strips.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a lighting and ventilation trofier assembly which achieves a marked improvement in constructional and operational efiiciency. In particular it is an object to achieve a large air outlet area simultaneously with a small wall area exposed to air conditioned air; also a very short total length of joints subject to the direct pressure drop from supply to ambient pressure while still enabling eflficient dissipation of ballast heat and counterflow of ambient air to prevent bulb discoloration.

It is another principal object of the invention to provide a vent housing unit which consists of a single part which can be used to modify a troffer lighting unit.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide an improved troifer lighting unit which can be modified with a housing unit to carry out both lighting and ventilating functions. It is a particular object to enable this modification to be achieved in the field by persons who are unskilled and with very simple steps employing a minimum of extra parts.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a trofier lighting unit which has an improved aperture structure that can be used for air distribution or air intake and which enables modification of the sound and ventilating conditions in a room which the unit services.

Still another principal object of the invention is to provide trotter lighting unit accessories specially suited for the unit which enable a single basic unit to be employed in a wide variety of circumstances.

The invention will be described in connection with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vent-housing according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lighting trotfer memher over which the vent-housing of FIG. 1 can fit;

FIG. 2a is a partially broken away perspective View of a lighting and ventilating trofier assembly formed by the combination of the vent-housing of FIG. 1 with the lighting troffer member of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a plan view, and

FIG. 4 is a side view, partially in cross-section, of the assembly of FIG. 2a;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 5-5 and 66 of FIG. 4 respectively;

FIG. 7 is a partially broken-away cross-sectional view taken on lines 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to part of FIG. 6 of an alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of an accessory snap-in connecting plate for use with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8;

bodiment has reinforced edges 46' Patented Oct. 24, 1967 FIG. 10 is a plan view of the plate of FIG. 9 and FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the plate assembled with the lighting troffer member of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 12-12 and 1313 of FIG. 11 respectively;

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of the end bracket assembly of the embodiment of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a cam plate employed in the bracket assembly of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an end view of the assembly of FIG. 14; and

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken on lines 1717 of FIG. 16.

Referring to the preferred embodiment of the lighting unit of the invention, which is best shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, the unit is defined by a main trofier member 22 and two end plates 24. The main trolfer member 22 has a top wall 26 lying over the space for bulbs 52, and two side walls 28 which extend downwardly, and as in this embodiment, preferably outwardly. At the end regions of the trofier member 22 the top wall 26 is defined by axial portions 30 lying at one level and lateral portions 32 spaced laterally to the sides of the axial portions 30. Each axial portion 30 is joined to lateral portions 32 by downwardly extending walls 34 serving as transition portions.

The central part of the top wall of the trotfer member is defined by two spanning portions 36 which are integral continuations of the lateral portions 32, these spanning portions extending closer to the axis A of the troffer member than the lateral portions 32. These two spanning portions 36 are joined together along the axis A by a flow divider 38. The upper surface 40 of this flow divider 38 is joined to the axial portions 30, preferably constituting a planar extension, and is joined to the spanning portions 36 by downwardly extending walls 42 which in eflect are continuations of the transition walls 34. The entire top wall 26 of the troffer member 22 including the various portions just described, and the side walls 28, are preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal. This can be accomplished by breaking the metal to form the various straight lines according to well-known sheet metal forming techniques, and stamping the central portion of the top wall 26 with cooperating dies to form the flow divider 38. The main tr-ofler member is joined to the end plates 24 by, for instance, welding, the end plates providing flanges 43, 44 which extend beneath the top wall 26.

Refer-ring to FIGS. 5 and 6 the lower portions 28' 0fthe walls 28 are bent inwardly and define means for supporting light transmitting panel 46, which in this emresting upon upwardly turned edges of lower portions 28'.

Spaced laterally outwardly from the lower portions 28' of the walls 28 are two discrete rails 48 which are permanently secured to the trofier assembly, e.g. by the end plates 24. These rails define the outer visible portions of the unit when installed in the ceiling as can be observed from FIGS. 5 and 6. Also in FIGS. 5 and 6 can be seen the upper portion of each rail 48 which is bent or folded in double re-entrant form to define an upwardly open slot 80 which extends the full length of each rail 48.

The t-rofier assembly thus far described, when equipped with bulbs 52, can be mounted in a ceiling as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and can serve as a light fixture.

The elongated aperture 49 defined between the rail 48, or in the case of FIG. 8 the rail 48', and the lower portion of the side wall 28 serves as an intake for air from the space below the fixture, the air passing through the aperture 49 and into the plenum cavity P above the fixture. Because more than one room is serviced by the plenum there is a tendency for noise to travel with the air through the aperture 49 into the plenum and then back through the aperture of another fixture into another room. This tendency is avoided by use of the damper member 60 shown in FIG. 8. This member incorporates a mass 62 of sound absorbent material such as fiber glass, and is disposed across the aperture 49 so that a tortuous path is defined which absorbs the noise. Referring still to FIG. 8 the damper member 60 is slidably adjustable along wall 28 to change the size of the flow through aperture 49, and to engage the rail 48' in the lowest position to stop the flow. A wall 61 of the damper member is arranged to pass by the upper edge 50' of the rail 48 when this is done.

The upper edge 50 of the rail 48' in FIG. 8, which is an extrusion, is similar to the folded edge 50of the rail 48 in FIG. 6 in defining a horizontally elongated upwardly open slot 80. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 2a these slots extend the full length of the troifer member 22 and serve to telescopically receive the lower edges 81 of side walls 82 of the vent housing which is now to be described.

Referring to FIG. 1 as well as to FIG. 2 the vent housing 81 comprises the two side walls 82 connected by a top wall 86. At the end regions of the housing 81 the top wall 86 is shaped correspondingly with the top wall of the trotfer member 22 so that the two can nest together in face to face contact over a substantial area. More specifically, the vent housing 81, at each end region, is provided with an elongated axial portion 90 and two elongated lateral portions 92, the axial portion 90 joined thereto by downwardly extending walls 94 serving as transition portions.

The top wall of the vent housing 81 has a central portion 88 that is dished upwardly to define an air receiving chamber. Preferably, as shown, this portion is an upward 1y stamped configuration of the same sheet of metal as that from which the side walls of the vent housing are formed. It extends laterally from the axis A a substantial difference, preferably, as shown, beyond the upper edges of the side walls 28 of the troffer member, and to the upper edges of the side walls 81 of the vent housing 81 itself.

As shown it is advantageous both for strength and for ease in stamping that the top of the stamped configuration 88 lie at the same level as the axial portions 90 of the top wall of the vent housing 81 and that downwardly extending portions 98 join the stamped configuration to the lateral portions 92, with these downwardly extending portions 98 being continuations of the transition portions 94, as shown in FIG. 1.

In the field, or in the factory, when it is desired to modify the lighting trotfer member of FIG. 2 so as to handle ventilation air, the vent housing 81 of FIG. 1, preferably formed as a single part, is moved vertically downward upon the trolfer member 22, until the edges 83 of the side walls 82 of the vent housing 81 engage telescopically the slots 80 provided in the rails 48 of the troffer member. Simultaneously slidable: end locks 100 on the vent housing 81 slidably interlock with slidable' end locks 102 provided on the end plate extensions 104 of the end plates 24. When the side wall edges 83 telescopically seat in the slots 80 of the rails, the end portions of the top walls 92 which extend outwardly beyond the trotfer member seat upon flanges 106 of the end plates 24. By means of wing nuts 103 and bolts 101, or similar fasteners, the vent housing 81 is secured to the troifer member 22, their nesting parts cooperating in forming a tight assembly.

Referring to FIG. 2a air enters through the collar 110 of the air receiving chamber formed by the stamped portion 88 and the top Wall of the troffer member 22. The rails 48 of the troifer member and its other structure position the vent housing 81 so that the flow divider 38 is aligned with the collar 110. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2a, the air entering the collar 110 is divided into two air streams. These air streams spread from the point of entry as indicated diagrammatically in an efficient streamline how and proceed through the passage defined between the walls 82 of the vent housing and the sloped walls 28 of the troifer member.

On the side walls 28 of the troifer member are positioned dampers 140. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4 each damper comprises a threaded bolt 142 and a damper member 143. The lower end of the bolt 142 is slotted at 144 and is positioned by a bracket 146. The upper end of bolt 142 is captured in an upward formation 148 in the vent housing wall. The bracket 146 and the formation 148 serve to confine the threaded bolt 142 to rotational movement.

Upon this bolt 14-2 is threaded the damper member 143. This member has a sidewall 145 shaped to fit against the upward formation 88 of the vent housing along dotted line 147 shown in FIG. 1. It is thus seen that by proper adjustment of the bolt 142 by a screw driver protruding through the aperture 49 defined between the rail 48 and the side wall 28 of the trotfer member 22, the damper member 143 can be moved upwardly or downwardly, it being restrained from rotational movement by the side walls 28 and 82 of the troifer member and vent housing respectively. In its upper position the damper member 143 can substantially prevent flow to the respective aperture 49, and lower positions of the damper member correspondingly increase the flow.

Along the lower edge of the damper member 143 is a deflector member 147 having a substantially horizontal extent, and filling at least a substantial portion of the passage. The outer portions 149 of this deflector serve to direct air toward the end of the aperture 49 and thus to provide a flow throughout the length of the aperture.

The lighting and ventilating troffer assembly so far described provides means for efficiently dissipating the heat inherent with the operation of the electric bulbs in the fixture. Referring to FIG. 6 a ballast member 106 is seated in the upwardly recessed region formed by an axial portion 30 of the trotfer member top wall and the similarly shaped portion of the vent housing. A cover plate 108 secured to the inside of the trotfer member completes the compartment for the ballast member 106. As is well known the ballast member 106 generates a substantial amount of heat. To a large degree this heat is dissipated by conduction first through the top wall 30, against which the ballast member bears, then directly upwardly by conduction through the top wall 90 of the vent housing from which it is removed by radiation and convection. It will be seen that, although the vent housing extends over the ballast member 106, still air being supplied by the vent housing does not come in proximity to the ballast member, and therefore there is no detrimental exchange of heat between the ballast member and the ventilating air.

Similar advantages are obtained with air that cools the cathodes of the bulbs 52. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7 a cut-out 54 is provided in the central region of the lower part 28' of the side walls 28 of the trofier member 22. This cut-out 54 serves as a means for entry of ambient air into the troifer space. At the ends of the trofier assembly, in the region immediately above the cathodes 58 of the bulbs 52, cut-outs 56 are provided extending both through the lateral top wall portions 32 of the troifer member and the cerresponding lateral top wall portion 92 of the vent housing. Flaps 58 integral with the troffer member extend through the cut-outs 56 in the vent housing 81 further serving to position the two parts together.

In operation the plenum cavity above the lighting fixture is exhausted and the negative pressure thus generated draws air through the cut-out 54 at the center of the assembly and thence through the cut-out 56 at the cathodes ends. Thus again it will be seen that despite the fact that the vent housing extends over the ends of the assembly, still the heat of the cathodes 58 does not transfer to the air being supplied through the vent housing. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 it will be seen that the openings provided by the cut-outs 56 are spaced a substantial distance from the center of the assembly where the air receiving chamber is defined, and the face to face contact between the nesting walls of the troffer member and the vent housing over this substantial distance serves to prevent loss of air from the air receiving chamber.

The deflectors 149 of the damper members 143 direct the air towards the ends of the outlet, and the lip 45 along the inner surface of the passage directs the air laterally away from the fixture. This in turn prevents short-circuiting of the air from the supply back to the openings 54 and into the lighting trotfer itself.

For making electrical connections to the assembly a cut-out 200 is formed in one of the axial top wall portions 90 of the vent housing 81. In registry an opening 202 is provided in the axial portion 30 of the top wall of the troffer member 22. Referring to FIG. 3 a removable access plate 204 is inserted in these openings and serves to carry the electrical connections for the assembly. Referring to FIGS. 9-11 the access plate 204 has a central collar 206 which serves to clamp the armored cable 208 and to connect this cable firmly to the assembly; its other function is to permit access to the electrical connections inside the assembly without dismantling the assembly or without even removing the lens. The access plate 204 has a central part of a width W greater than the width W of the opening 202 through which the connection is made. At each end, however, the access plate has a width W slightly less than the width W of the opening so that the end portions can fit into the opening. The excess width of the central part of the plate can be regarded as comprising flanges 212.

The length of the access plate L is greater than the length L of the opening 202.

a The access plate 204 is adapted to be secured to the trotfer assembly by rotation about central axis R. For this purpose two tabs 210 are provided on the access plate 204, one on each of the long sides of the plate, one secured to each of the two reduced end portions as shown in FIG. 10. Thus these tabs are located on opposite sides of the axis R of rotation of the plate 204. These tabs 210 are offset downwardly a distance T as shown in FIG. 9, this distance corresponding with the thickness T of the wall 30. With this arrangement, as shown in FIG. 13, the flange portions 212 of the access plate 204 that extend beyond the dimension W of the end portions of the plate can lie above the wall 30 while the tabs 210 themselves lie below the wall. The plate 204 is provided also with two downward projections 214, here formed as indentations, located along the sides of the reduced width end portions of the plate 204, each spaced opposite from one of the tabs. These projections 214 are located on opposite sides of the axis R of rotation of the plate 204.

For the purposes of assembly the plate is generally aligned above the opening, and positioned so that both tabs 210 extend into the opening and below the level of the wall 30. Then the plate is rotated about its central axis R carrying the tabs 210' under the wall 30'. Simultaneously the projections 214 press against the top surface of the wall 30 hence the plate 204 must resiliently deform as rotation progresses. When the tabs 210 reach position shown in FIG. 13 the projections 214 pass over edges of the openings and drop therein, unstressing the plate 204, with the flanges 212 remaining on top of the wall 30. Referring to FIG. 13 it is seen that the plate 204 is restrained from lateral movement in either direction. At one side the downward leg 210' of the tabl 210 engages the side of the opening. On the other side the edge 214' of the projection 214 engages the side of the opening. Similarly, referring to FIG. 12, the access plate is restrained frorn lengthwise removal. At each end the tab 210 and projection 214 are positioned to engage the end of the opening in the wall 30 before the other end of the plate passes by the end of the opening.

. By'this arrangement it is possible for the troifer assembly to be installed without the electrician ever opening the assembly. He simply can grasp the wires of the fixture itself through the registering openings 200 and 202, connect them to the cable protruding through the access plate 204, and then can lock the plate in place. Thereafter, when it is necessary to inspect or repair the electrical connections, this can be accomplished without even removing the vent housing, simply by having access to the plate 204 through the opening 200 in the vent housing.

Referring to FIG. 2 and to FIGS. 14-17 the means by which the lighting and ventilating troffer assembly is supported are shown. Conventional ceiling bars 250, e.g. of inverted T-shape, are engaged by U brackets 260 which have slots 262 engaging the upstanding ribs of the ceiling bars. The base section 262 of the bracket fits against the end plate 24 of the troffer assembly and a screw 264 joins the end plate 24 to the bracket. The

problem that occurs with lighting and ventilation as-' sembly mountings is that the assembly droops a slight amount and does not seat tightly against the ceiling. For

this reason it would be desirable to have a means for adjusting the height of the assembly relative to its supports to take up this final small space and provide a snug fit and pleasing appearance. According to the present invention this problem is solved by means of the cam plate 270 shown in FIG. 15. This cam plate'is rigidly mounted to the end plate 24 of the assembly by rivet 280. It has two cam members 272 extending toward the bracket 260. These cam members have lower cam surfaces 274. The bracket itself has a slot defining a cam follower edge 276. The two cam members 272 fit into the slot and the cam surface 274 engages the cam follower surface 276. An elongated screw opening 278 is pro vided in the cam plate 270 aswell as in the end plate 24. Accordingly, as the screw 264 draws the end plate 24 against the bracket 260, the cam surfaces 27 ride up on the cam follower surface 276 to thereby raise the assembly relative to the bracket 260, thus raising the lower part of the assembly 282 into a snug engagement with the ceiling 284.

It will be understood that variousdetails of the em-- 1. A lighting and ventilating trolfer assembly including a trotfer member having a top wall and side walls, a vent housing having a generally corresponding top wall and side walls in nesting relation to said troffer member,

an electricalconnection access opening in the top wall of said troffer member, a corresponding access opening in the top wall of said vent housing and a rotatably removable access plate formed of resilient material and cooperating with one of said top walls to close said opening, said plate having a main body adapted to cover substantially completely said opening, two tab means located oppositely from the center of rotation of said plate; said tab means adapted to be inserted and engage simultaneously the underside of the wall, and two projection means on said plate located oppositely from the center of rotation of said plate and spaced from said tab means, said projection means constructed and arranged to ride upon the surface of said wall and resiliently deform said plate as said tab means move to locking position, said projection means adapted to slide from said wall over edges of said opening into said opening upon terminal movement of said plate, allowing said plate to straighten, said projections cooperating with said edges of said opening over which they slide to lock said access plate against inadvertent removal.

2. A troffer assembly including a trolfer member having a top wall and side walls, electrical means located within said trolfer member, an opening in one of the walls of said assembly located to give access to said electrical means, and a plate member carrying wires for said electrical means, said plate member being rotatably positionable, said plate having a main body adapted to cover substantially completely said opening, two tab means located oppositely from the center of rotation of said plate, said tab means adapted to be inserted and engage simultaneously the underside of the wall, and two projection means on said plate located oppositely from the center of rotation of said plate and spaced from said tab means, said projection means constructed and arranged to ride upon the'surface of said wall and resiliently deform said plate as said tab means move to locking position, said projection means adapted to slide from said wall over edges of said opening into said opening upon terminal movement of said plate, allowing said plate to straighten, said projections cooperating with said edges of said opening over which they slide to lock said access plate against inadvertent removal.

3. A lighting and ventilating troffer assembly including an elongated troffer member and a superposed vent housing, said troffer member defining a space for bulbs and having a top wall lying over said space and a pair of downwardly extending horizontally elongated side walls, said vent housing having an air receiving chamber and a pair of downwardly extending, horizontally elongated side walls, each side wall of said vent housing spaced outwardly from one of said side walls of said trotfer member and defining therewith a downward flow air passage having a horizontal air outlet, wherein the top and all sides of said air receiving chamber are defined by an upwardly stamped configuration in a sheet member that is integral with the side walls of said vent housing and lies over the top wall of said troffer member wherein said vent housing has at least one top wall portion that extends from said upwardly stamped configuration a substantial distance toward one of the ends of said vent housing, said top wall portion resting face to face upon a corresponding portion of the top wall of said trofier member, said face to face contact serving to prevent flow in that direction from said receiving chamber, and wherein, at a location spaced along said face to face contacting portions from said receiving chamber, openings are provided in the top walls of said troffer member and said vent housing, said openings cooperating to provide an upward passage for air from said troifer space.

4. A lighting and ventilating trolfer assembly including an elongated troffer member and a superposed vent housing, said troffer member defining a space for bulbs and having a top wall lying over said space and a pair of downwardly extending horizontally elongated side walls, said vent housing having an air receiving chamber and a pair of downwardly extending, horizontally elongated side walls, each side wall of said vent housing s-paced outwardly from one of said side walls of said trofler member and defining therewith a downward flow air passage having a horizontal air outlet, wherein the top and all sides of said air receiving chamber are defined by an upwardly stamped configuration in a sheet member that is integral with the side walls of said vent housing and lies over the top wall of said troffer member wherein said vent housing has at least one top wall portion that extends from said upwardly stamped configuration a substantial distance toward one of the ends of said vent housing, said top wall portion resting face to face upon a corresponding portion of the top wall of said troifer member, said face to face contact serving to prevent flow in that direction from said receiving chamber and wherein said top wall portion of said vent housing includes an elongated axial portion disposed at a level above and located between a pair of elongated lateral portions, said axial portion joined to said lateral portions by downwardly extending transition portions, the top wall of said troffer member having corresponding portions shaped to nest therewith in face to face contact preventing flow of air from said receiving chamber.

.5. The troffer assembly of claim 4 wherein said upwardly stamped portion of said vent housing is integral with said axial top wall portion of said housing, said upwardly stamped portion extends laterally from the axis of said trotfer a substantially greater distance than said axial end portion, said upwardly stamped portion joined to said lateral portions of said housing by downwardly extending transition portions, said transition portions constituting extensions of said downwardly extending transition portions that join said axial portion with said lateral portions.

6. A lighting and ventilating trotfer assembly including an elongated troffer member and a superposed vent housing, said troffer member defining a space for bulbs and having a top wall lying over said space and a pair of downwardly extending horizontally elongated side walls, said vent housing having an air receiving chamber and a pair of downwardly extending, horizontally elongated side walls, each side wall of said vent housing spaced outwardly from one of said side walls of said troffer member and defining therewith a downward flow air passage having a horizontal air outlet, wherein the top and all sides of said air receiving chamber are defined by an upwardly stamped configuration in a sheet member that is integral with the side walls of said vent housing and lies over the top wall of said trofier member wherein said vent housing has at least one top wall portion that extends from said upwardly stamped configuration a substantial distance toward one of the ends of said vent housing, said top wall portion resting face to face upon a corresponding portion of the top wall of said troifer member, said face to face contact serving to prevent flow in that direction from said receiving chamber and wherein an electrical ballast member is located within said trofier space against the inner surface of said corresponding portion of said trolfer member, the face to face contact of said top wall portion of said vent housing with said corresponding portion of said troffer member cooperating to dissipate ballast heat.

7. A lighting and ventilating trotfer assembly including an elongated troffer member and a superposed vent housing, said trofier member defining a space for bulbs and having a top wall lying over said space and a pair of downwardly extending horizontally elongated side walls, said vent housing having an air receiving chamber and a pair of downwardly extending, horizontally elongated side walls, each side wall of said vent housing spaced outwardly from one of said side walls of said trolfer member and defining therewith a downward fiow air passage having a horizontal air outlet, wherein the top and all sides of said air receiving chamber are defined by an upwardly stamped configuration in a sheet member that is integral with the sidewalls of said vent housing and lies over the top Wall of said troffer member wherein said vent housing has at least one top wall portion that extends from said upwardly stamped configuration a substantial distance toward one of the ends of said vent housing, said top wall portion resting face to face upon a corresponding portion of the top wall of said troffer member, said face to face contact serving to prevent flow in that direction from said receiving chamber and wherein said top wall portion of said vent housing runs to the end of said troifer assembly and has extensions that extend laterally relative to the troffer axis beyond the top wall of said troffer member, said extensions cooperating in the formation of said flow passages, the ends of said extensions supportingly engaged by flanges of an end plate forming said end of said troffer assembly.

8. A lighting and ventilating troifer assembly including an elongated troffer member and a superposed vent housing, said troffer member defining a space for bulbs and having a top wall lying over said space and a pair of downwardly extending horizontally elongated side walls, said vent housing having an air receiving chamber and a pair of downwardly extending, horizontally elongated side walls, each side wall of said vent housing spaced outwardly from one of said side walls of said troffer member and defining therewith a downward flow air passage having a horizontal air outlet, wherein the top and all sides of said air receiving chamber are defined by an upwardly stamped configuration in a sheet member that is integral with the side walls of said vent housing and lies over the top wall of said trolfer member, and wherein said troffer member has two rails rigidly joined thereto, one located outwardly of each side wall of said trofI'er member and defining therewith an elongated air outlet, said rails defining telescopic slot means to telescopically receive the lower edges of the side walls of said vent housing when said trofiYer member and said vent housing are brought together.

9. The trofier assembly of claim 8 wherein a portion of the top wall of the trolfer member is shaped into an upwardly pointed triangular configuration as a flow divider, said trofier member constructed and arranged to position said vent housing to cause air to flow against said flow divider, said flow divider arranged to form separate streams of air for the passages defined by said side walls.

10. A lighting and ventilating trofiFer assembly including an elongated trofier member and a superposed vent housing, said trofier member defining a space for bulbs and having a top wall lying over said space and a pair of downwardly extending horizontally elongated side walls, said vent housing having an air receiving chamber and a pair of downwardly extending, horizontally elongated side walls, each side wall of said vent housing spaced outwardly from one of said side walls of said trofier member and defining therewith a downward flow air passage having a horizontal air outlet, wherein the top and all sides of said air receiving chamber are defined by an upwardly stamped configuration in a sheet member that is integral with the side walls of said vent housing and lies over the top wall of said troffer member, and wherein said top wall of said troffer member comprises a pair of raised axial end portions shaped to receive on its underside a nesting ballast means, and a narrower raised ax-ial center portion integral with said end portions and shaped to divide air flowing down thereupon and direct said air to said passages defined by said walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,644,389 7/1953 Dauphinee.

2,991,708 7/1961 Falk et a] 9840 3,108,529 10/1963 Sweetser 9840 3,125,943 3/ 1964 Geocaris 9840 3,169,467 2/1965 Archer 98-40 3,220,332 11/1965 St-raub 98-40 3,259,052 7/1966 Bradley et a1. 9840 MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner. ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner. W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LIGHTING AND VENTILATING TROFFER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A TROFFER MEMBER HAVING A TOP WALL AND SIDE WALLS, A VENT HOUSING HAVING A GENERALLY CORRESPONDING TOP WALL AN SIDE WALLS IN NESTING RELATION TO SAID TROFFER MEMBER, AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ACCESS OPENING IN THE TOP WALL OF SAID TROFFER MEMBER, A CORRESPONDING ACCESS OPENING IN THE TOP WALL OF SAID VENT HOUSING AND A ROTATABLY REMOVABLE ACCESS PLATE FORMED OF RESILIENT MATERIAL AND COOPERATING WITH ONE OF SAID TOP WALLS TO CLOSE SAID OPENING, SAID PLATE HAVING A MAI BODY ADAPTED TO COVER SUB STANTIALLY COMPLETELY SAID OPENING, TWO TAB MEANS LOCATED OPPOSITELY FROM THE CENTER OF ROTATION OF SAID PLATE, SAID TAB MEANS ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED AND ENGAGE SIMULTANEOUSLY THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WALL, AND TWO PROJECTION MEANS ON SAID PLATE LOCATED OPPOSITELY FROM THE CENTER OF ROTATION OF SAID PLATE AND SPACED FROM SAID TAB MEANS, SAID PROJECTION MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO RIDE UPON THE SURFACE OF SAID WALL AND RESILIENTLY DEFORM SAID PLATE AS SAID TAB MEANS MOVE TO LOCKING POSITION, SAID PROJECTION MEANS ADAPTED TO SLIDE FROM SAID WALL OVER EDGES OF SAID OPENING INTO SAID OPENING UPON TERMINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE, ALLOWING SAID PLATE TO STRAIGHTEN, SAID PROJECTIONS COOPERATING WITH SAID EDGES OF SAID OPENING OVER WHICH THEY SLIDE TO LOCK SAID ACCESS PLATE AGAINST INADVERTENT REMOVAL. 